Junior staff most susceptible to inappropriate treatment

Experiencing "uncomfortable or inappropriate" behaviour at work has forced one in six people to lose their jobs, new research finds.

And according to the survey by charity A Blueprint for Better Business, more than 50% of workers have experienced or witnessed behaviour that has caused unease.

"Feeling uncomfortable at work can often arise from a perceived lack of fairness or respect for people, such as following an instruction to squeeze a vulnerable supplier unfairly exploiting their weaker position, or finding ourselves lacking the courage to speak up when a colleague makes an inappropriate comment or blatantly ignores someone's valuable contribution," Charles Wookey, the charity's chief executive said.

In some instances, people are asked to behave in a way they are uncomfortable with. However, others may also see or overhear unacceptable workplace practices taking place.

The poll of 1,000 employees found that junior staff members are most susceptible to inappropriate conduct from colleagues and managers.

Mr Wookey continued: "These poll results demonstrate a worrying feature of business life, and show that we all need to do much more to help each other to feel empowered in calling out decisions or behaviour that make us uncomfortable."

Many workers say they feel uneasy about "leaving their ethics at the door" when entering their place of work.

"The best businesses know that fairness and respect lie at the heart of long term success," added the charity chief.

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